Building Finder
Learn more about Philadelphia Architecture... Online Or On Your Phone
Explore Philadelphia's architectural treasures with AIA Philadelphia's Building Finder. Use your laptop or desktop computer to peruse the many different architectural styles found within the city limits, or use your smartphone to create an impromptu architectural tour of the city. AIA Philadelphia Members are encouraged to login to the site and provide commentary on the buildings found in the Building Finder, creating an untold history of Philadelphia's most recognized buildings. For a more in-depth look at Philadelphia's iconic architecture, visit the AIA Bookstore and Design Center to purchase a copy of Philadelphia Architecture: A Guide to the City, published by the Center for Architecture.
Society Hill Towers
2nd and Locust streets
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Date Constructed:
Architect(s):
I.M. Pei and Associates
By the 1940s, Society Hill was one of the city’s worst slums. Most of the 18th century houses were in dilapidated condition, and the area was dominated by the wholesale food market. As part of a comprehensive plan to redevelop the area, the food markets were relocated to a new food distribution center in South Philadelphia.
A competition was held to select a housing design for the site that would symbolize the renewal of the area. I.M. Pei’s winning entry included the townhouses on Third Street and three tall apartment buildings located on the axis of Second Street. The buildings are constructed of poured-in-place concrete, divided into meticulous rectilinear units that are both the structural frame and the façade. Each apartment has floor to ceiling glass windows, which provide dramatic views of the Delaware River and the city. The entrance court contains the sculptural group “Old Man, Young Man, The Future” by Leonard Baskin.
St. Charles Hotel
60 N. 3rd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Date Constructed: 1851
Architect(s):
Charles Rubican builder; renovated as St. Charles Court 1980
American hotels of the 19th-century were small and designed for middle-class patrons. They were often modeled after Italian Renaissance palaces. The St. Charles was designed in this style using cast iron, a new building material, rather than stone. The iron was cast in a foundry into smooth panels, which were then painted a stone color with sand added to paint to create a granular texture.
Local newspapers covered the construction of the hotel, describing the innovative plan, which included a bar and a reading room on the first floor, a second floor parlor for women and three floors for the more than 50 hotel rooms. Later, the same newspapers commented on the crowds who came to see the cast-iron front that imitated stone. The building was converted to apartments and office space in 1980.
St. Peter's Church
3rd and Pine streets
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Date Constructed:
Architect(s):
carpenter-architect, Robert Smith
By 1750, Christ Church could no longer accommodate the number of people who wanted to have seats there. It also was inconvenient for parishioners living south of Walnut Street. The Penn family donated land for a second Anglican church, which was operated jointly with Christ Church until 1832. Robert Smith designed and built the church. Dr. John Kearsley, who had directed work on Christ Church, was the supervisor.
St. Peter’s is a subdued version of a Palladian church. It contains a grand Palladian window on the chancel wall, and the sides of the church are pierced by round arch windows, but there is an absence of elaborate detail. St. Peter’s still retains its original high-backed pews, raised of the floor to keep out drafts. In an unusual arrangement, the altar and pulpit are at opposite ends of the main aisle.
The steeple was added in 1842 by William Strickland. The simple tower, six stories high, is in keeping with the church’s restrained exterior.
